Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl, cut in butter. Combine the egg and milk, stir into dry ingredients to make a stiff batter. Turn out onto a floured surface and roll to Â½ inch thick. Cut into 1-2 inch squares and drop into gently boiling soup/stew/sauerbraten/pot roast. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes.

Two hints for tender, fluffy dumplings:

1. The ingredients should be cold. If the fat melts into the flour BEFORE the dumplings start cooking, the dumplings will come out tough and chewy. This is true for any pastry.

2. Your pot must have a good fitting lid and no peeking before 20 minutes! If too much steam escapes from the pot, the dumplings become heavy and sticky.